U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,729 issued to R. L. Wright on 25 Sep. 1990, entitled Ball Glove Conditioning Ball, is related to placing a baceball glove in a bag that has straps that hold the glove in a closed position. The bag contains a form liner which, in turn contains conditioning oil. The that is used to shape the pocket contains a conditioning fluid. There is not even the slightest suggestion og the actual ball attached to the handle of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,677 issued to L. A. Nash on 7 Dec. 1993, entitled Athletic Glove Pocket Former, Shaper and Conditioning Device, is related to a pocket forming device that is a bulbous member, generally in pear shape. Heat is supplied and a conditioning fluid, as in Wright supra., is also supplied and the glove is tied is tied around the ball. Again, there is not even the slightest disclosure of the actual ball and handle of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,871, issued to W. E. Hanley on 30 Nov. 1993, entitled "Baseball Conditioning Tool and Method," is related to a device for conditioning the pocket in a baseball glove as is the device of the present invention. However, this is the only similarity of the two devices. The Hanley device calls for and discloses a tool for conditioning a baseball glove that requires elbow shaped removable head on the handle and this elbow shaped head has an upper arm and a lower arm to grasp the ball to the removable head. Furthermore, the entire head must be removed and replaced with a head with a different size upper and lower arm arrangement in order to change, for example, changing from a baseball to a softball.
The device of the present invention is much simpler and much less expensive to manufacture and to sell. It has no removable elbowed head and no upper arm and no lower arm to grasp it to an elbowed removable head which the present invention doesn't have in the first place.
It is clearly seen that the present invention is patentably distinguishable from the devise of the Hanley reference and is also obvious that the devise of the present invention is considerably less expensive to manufacture and to sell.